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Monday, January 17, 2011

Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter

THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER (Book #1)Jana OliverParanormal Young Adult368 PagesSt. Martin's GriffinAvailable February 1stReceived for review from For What It's Worth

THE STORYRiley Blackthorne is a demon trapper. She's following in her father's footsteps, aspiring to be a master trapper and the only women to choose such a profession. For now, she's stuck with the lesser demons, finding herself covered in unmentionable demon fluids while videos of her botched containment attempts go viral.

When tragedy strikes, Riley becomes more determined than ever to be a master trapper, recklessly attempting to catch higher level demons to the chagrin of her father's protege, and her first crush, Beck. When it's clear she's outmatched, she's brought under the tutelage of a senior master trapper, a man who hates her and her father, and only agrees to train her so he has another person to abuse.

Though it's not the best of situations, it does allow Riley to spend more time with fellow trapper apprentice Simon, the one bright spot in a world that seems to have turned it's back on her. Things are changing in Atlanta though, and while Riley is training, it seems the demons, previously content to work alone, have begun to team up and even more surprisingly, they all seem to know Riley by name. With the demons working together and the trappers' special supplies not working as they should, things seem increasingly bleak for Riley and company, and she may soon be following far closer in her father's footsteps than she would have ever expected.

MY THOUGHTSThe Demon Trapper's Daughter introduces us to a world where darkness has temporarily eclipsed light, and the lethal claw-tipped fingers of Hell have crept from Lucifer's realm and made their way to big city Atlanta. With their increasing occupation of the city comes minor mischief from the lower level minions, but a bloody end awaits those who think to tangle with the upper level fiends as they maim and destroy with an evilness and disregard for life characteristic of the soulless monsters they are. The details of this nightmarish world are presented to us gradually, sparing us from being buried under the enormous weight of an extraordinary influx of information, instead giving us time to observe and question as we learn the ins and outs of demon trapping along with Riley. Though her world is grim and death manifests itself into terrifying demonic forms, Riley and Beck's faith in their cause keeps hope alive for us as readers, their strength of purpose a tiny encouraging flame in the surrounding blackness.

Despite an interesting world, Riley herself is a problematic character. While we respect her desire to be the only female demon trapper and her ability to hunt down horrifying creatures with a remarkable tenacity, her interactions with Beck make fully supporting her difficult. When tragedy befalls her, she is understandably devastated, and in her grief she becomes so self-centered she refuses to acknowledge that Beck not only shares her pain, but is experiencing the loss on a level as equally personal and crushing as her own. His rejection of her feelings for him when she was fifteen forced her to erect protective walls to safeguard her new emotional fragility, but even when it's clear Beck's protectiveness and sometimes curt reprimands stem from an inherent affection and need to protect himself from his own feelings, she reacts with utter immaturity and, at times, an unwarranted disrespect that reinforces the reality of her young years. We then can only read on with the wish that her behavior with regard to Beck could be as admirable as her dedication to her cause.

Though Riley's romantic attentions focus on Simon, Beck is the more preferable choice, his experiences as a soldier overseas and his trapping with Riley's father leaving him with significant emotional and physical scarring, and those marks buy him an infinite number of reprieves for his terse interactions with Riley as we have the opportunity to see through the facade to the troubled young man underneath. Riley, blinded by her girlish hurt at her initial dismissal those years ago, refuses to open her eyes wide enough to see how truly similar she and Beck are and how much he so clearly cares for her. Though her preference for squeaky-clean, ultra-religious Simon is understandable, we still can't help but want the chance to speak to Riley face to face and plead Beck's case on his behalf. He alone earns sole possession of our hearts–Simon remaining a bit too flat and too perfect to hold our interest, and Riley, though she certainly has the potential for us to form a cherished connection, uses her youthful selfishness to keep us at a distance.

The Demon Trapper's Daughter is full of promise, starting strong with moments of humor that offset the tragic darkness of the world, but it falters a bit in the middle as a jumble of different storylines all struggle for dominance, creating a hazy picture that prevents us from separating the main conflict from the minor ones. As a result, our focus continues to shift haphazardly as we await the details that will more clearly direct our course and help us find our way amongst the monsters. Luckily, toward the end that much needed direction makes its way to us and we find ourselves swept up in an action packed finale that leaves us eagerly anticipating the next installment. Though not without its flaws, this is an interesting story and one, now that we are properly informed, I look forward to continuing.

Thanks for the review Jenny! I've been looking forward to The Demon Trapper's Daughter, but I'll admit, even reading the plot description sort of implies that there are a lot of things going on at once. I still can't wait to read about this slightly futuristic world Jana Oliver has created filled with demons though... :)

Great review Jenny! I am still excited to read this although I am a little concerned about the character Riley and the love triangle. I hate it when the girl picks the wrong guy. Beck sounds amazing :)

Even though I've seen this book everywhere, this is the first review I've read. Riley sounds pretty irritating, but hopefully her character will grow as the series progresses. Beck sounds like an interesting character. Maybe Simon is just supposed to be his foil so Riley will eventually see the real Beck as opposed to the bad guy she's turned him into. I'll check out a few more reviews, but I think this one has slipped down to "summer library reading" status.

I think the premise of the story sounds amazing, but when a plot lags or loses focus, I tend to do so, as well. That worries me. I'll definitely read this, but I'll take my time. Beautiful honest review, Jenny! :)

Hey Jenny, I love reading your reviews because you are such a great writer.

I really loved this book and while I did not find the plot bogged down with the too much information or jumbled, I can see where some might find that the case.

I also felt Riley being only seventeen and dealing with so much (no mother, father's death, and a male dominated society) smart to deal with Beck the way she did. After all he did make it very clear early on that she was just a kid and he remains aloof and a bit of a jerk too. Plus, he is a bit old for her and way more experienced in most everything.

While I hope that Riley and Beck will eventually find their way to each other, I am glad Oliver chose not to do it in this book.

I really like the sound of this book. It has a pretty unique and interesting concept. Riley seems like a character that will take some getting used to though. I do love action packed books so I'll definitely be reading it. Wonderful review!

I can't wait to read this one, especially as it takes place in Atlanta. I had assumed that it was set in our world... with a secret group of underground demon-hunters - kind of like the girls in Sisters Red. But, it sounds like this takes place in a not-so-distant dystopian future where demons have suddenly made their presence known? Either way, I'm sure I'll enjoy it... this totally sounds like my kind of book.

Tara - Thank you! It may have been my attention span and I just spaced out in the middle, but a lot of things seemed to be happening. Once the main conflict became apparent, I was fully on board:)

Small - She probably won't irritate everyone, I just found her interactions with Beck frustrating. Part of it is because we get to see things about him that she doesn't though.

Jan - Thanks! I definitely see your point about Riley being seventeen (I forget that sometimes when I read YA), she just irritated me a bit at times. I'm glad she and Beck didn't get together in this book as well even though I prefer him to Simon, and I think there's so much going on with them it's a relationship that definitely needs time to develop:) I look forward to reading more for sure:)

Adriana - I loved the concept, and I think I will grow to like Riley eventually:)

Tina - Thanks! It's an interesting read, I thought the demons were fabulous.

Madigan - Yes, it's more of a future reality where demons are well known and people have figured out how to deal with them. That aspect of it was very cool:)

Larissa - You're welcome, glad you enjoyed! I think you could probably wait until the next book comes out, I think this is a series that will get better as it goes.

Still on the fence about this one, but at least I'm better informed as to why I'm riding that fence. I get why Riley becomes selfish, but if it lasts the whole story, it may grate on my nerves. Maybe I'll wait until the next book since this one ends on a strong note. Thanks for the review! Brilliant as always!

I bought this one the other day and can't wait to read it. I know I'll be thinking about your review when I do. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it quite so much. Maybe the next in the series will improve :o)

I've only ever heard of this book from you (you always read books I've never heard of!), so I haven't read many reviews about it. I think that Riley probably won't annoy me as much, because I've dealt with a person that sounds just like her. But then again, you never know. I'm glad you were able to enjoy this, even with its flaws. Every book has its flaws though, right? :P Great review Jenny! ♥

Why do I get the sense that Riley is a TSTL character? Hopefully it is just because she still needs time to develop. I can accept that in characters.

This is the first review I read for this book, and I gotta say, I was hoping for more. Seems like the cramming in of multiple storylines is a popular trend right now, but I hope it fades because it does muddle the picture.

This sounds interesting. It's unusual that the girl prefers the squeaky clean boy over the bad boy. It's usually the opposite. Funny that in real life, I always prefer to good guy, but I am really drawn to the dangerous guys in books.

I believe this is the first review I've read on this one. Great review as always! Nervous about Riley's character... I find that an unlikeable protagonist can really ruin a book for me. But I assume she'd grow as a character as the series progresses!

I'm seeing this one all over the place and am sort of in the middle about whether I want to read it or not. I think I'll probably give it a go sometime in the near future if the series is set to improve.

This is one of those books that I was really looking forward to, but the reviews have only been so so thus far. You gave it a 3.5 though, which gives me some hope! Based on how you described Beck, I think I'm really going to like his character :o) It's too bad Riley isn't a very likable protaginist. Great review!

Another great review (sometimes I feel like I start every comment on your blog with that lol)! I've seen this on a few blogs and for some reason it has never caught my eye. After reading your review, I feel a lot more comfortable skipping this one. Thanks!

Sorry, I just found this review or I would have commented earlier. Thanks to all for the in-depth discussion. I always appreciate hearing readers' thoughts on the stories and the characters.

It was a gamble to have Riley be as ungrateful and snarky as she is with Beck in DTD, but it was totally intentional. I promise you that Riley learns some really big lessons in the second book after which she will be able to view herself, Beck and others in a new light. You'll see that change in the third book, for sure. Then it'll be up to Beck to exorcise his own personal demons, if he's able.

The complexity of the paranormal world, along with the vivid characterizations make this story a step up from the usual young adult fare. There's a dash of romance, but nothing that will turn off fans who want realism over romance. Riley's relationships never become cloying or obsessive, and that was something of a relief. This is a teenager who doesn't confuse a crush with the real deal, and her priorities are dead on.